Inner Quiet



Quiet I bear within me,

I bear within myself

Forces to make me strong.

Now will I be imbued with their glowing warmth.

Now will I fill myself

with my own will’s resolve.

And I will feel the quiet

Pouring through all my being

When by my steadfast striving

I become strong

To find within myself the source of strength

The strength of inner quiet.

-Rudolf Steiner

In the third grade curriculum there is a focus on how we as people live on the earth and how, throughout history, we have fed, clothed, and sheltered ourselves. This meets the nine year old as they develop their own creative individuality and recognize their feelings of separation from many of the groups which sustained them in the past. The third grade studies strive to develop new capacities in the children and to create a feeling of growing competency. Recently Grade 3 students could be found in the woods behind the school creating their own shelters in teams.

From Alia Goodyear (Director of Communications & Marketing, Alum, G3 Parent)

I was surprised at how emotional I was at Friday's basketball extravaganza. I've felt the excitement of the new gym all year. I was fortunate to get one of the new offices that came with the gym space - even as I write this, I can hear movement class happening in the gym. I am aware on a daily basis how much the gym is used and how much energy and delight it has brought to the school.

That being said, the energy and excitement last Friday was overwhelming in the best way. I was swept up in the exuberance of the crowd and when Nora Picus sank the first basket of the very first game in the gym, I found myself crying with joy.

When I think of playing basketball at WWS in the late '80s - with Mr. Brauer or Mr. Cannon as my coach - it is not hyperbole to say that riding in vans is a core part of those memories. Having every practice and every game be "away" is something all of our alums experienced. I have particular gratitude for those alums/alum families who helped to make the gym a reality for current and future WWS students.

It was such an amazing feeling to cheer on our teams in our beautiful gym. If you missed Friday, I hope you'll find the time to join us for a home game and cheer on our Red-Tailed Hawks!

Visionary gym donor, Brad Clark and the crowd waited with excitement for the first games.

Gym namesakes John & Mary Brauer were there to cheer on the Hawks!

The middle school girls played the very first game and Nora Picus sank the first basket.

The middle school boys won in overtime.

The High School Girls left it on the court.

The JV Boys brought it in.

The Varsity Boys closed out the 5 game day!

Athletic Director/Coach/Alum/Parent Taisto Saloma owned our very own sidelines.

Gym Architect MJ Wojewodzki came to the first games!

Throwback Thursday #tbt: This 1990-91 yearbook basketball photo includes Sarah Heirman (back row right) at the same age as her daughter Nora Picus (see above) and Laura Clark (back row left) daughter of Brad Clark (see above).

Many thanks to students Brayden Castro & Jojo Liebreich for capturing the day in photos.

Join us for a home game in the John & Mary Brauer Gym!

Check the wws website calendar for upcoming games. Home games are marked as "@WWS."

Note that the sports calendars are hidden by default. To view, select a team calendar listed at the top.

December

8/ Friday

• Lunch Team meeting, 8:30am (details below)

9/ Saturday

• Children's Garden Open House, 10am

12/ Tuesday

• MS/HS Morning Tour for Prospective Families, 9am

13/ Wednesday

• CG-G5 Morning Tour for Prospective Families, 9am

16/ Saturday

• Seasonal Sing-Along, 5pm

19/ Tuesday

• Trustees Council Meeting, 7pm

20/ Wednesday

• Grade 8 Play, 7pm

22/ Friday

• 12:30 Dismissal
• Alum Basketball Game & Happy Hour, 4:30-8pm

**Winter Break Dec 25-Jan 5. Classes Resume Jan 8.**

View the Calendar of School Days for the 2023-2024 School Year

Please join us on Saturday, Dec 16 at 5pm for our beloved Seasonal Sing-Along. 

We are moving back inside and it should be nice and cozy. The High School Student Council will have baked goods for sale (to raise funds for their prom) after the sing along and we can enjoy some additional social time. 

Please contact festivals@washingtonwaldorf.org with any song requests you may have. 

A Christmas Carol

By Barbara Field

Based on the Novel by Charles Dickens

Community Performance Wednesday, Dec 20 at 7pm

Note from the Director: 

I’m excited to be directing a production of this classic tale. “A Christmas Carol” meets the 8th grade class in many ways. Firstly in that it is a ghost story at heart; a delightful, frightful haunting - and an awakening. It requires a large cast of players, and It dovetails beautifully with the 8th grade curriculum of the industrial revolution and it’s costs and benefits for humanity around the globe. Despite the play’s trappings of 19th century Judeo-Christian England, it’s message is a universal one. At bottom I believe it is a morality play about human greed, and our overwhelming need to connect and care for one another as a basic human necessity—themes that remain as relevant in our society as ever.  

Help Start a Community Supported Lunch Program!

Join the Lunch Team meeting TOMORROW - Friday, Dec 8 at 8:30am. We are seeking people to attend who might be interested in volunteering to take the lead one or two days a month to prepare lunch, likely for about 50-100 people to start (which will hopefully grow).

• From the 72 of you who participated in the survey about Yay Lunch!, we heard a common opinion that the options offered weren't healthy/fresh/nutritious enough, combined with a strong desire to have an in-house lunch program like what Chef Eron ran before the pandemic. 
• An in-house program is in keeping with Waldorf education's emphasis on nourishing the body, mind, and spirit, with quality whole foods as an important component of human well-being, and would be an asset to distinguish our school among its peers. 
• As we work toward a permanent solution, which would also likely involve a volunteer component, we’d like to gauge community interest in and enthusiasm for resurrecting an in-house lunch program by starting with an all-volunteer effort that could offer lunch made in and served from our kitchen anywhere from two to five days a week, depending on how many volunteer leads we have.

If you are interested in helping prepare lunch, please attend the Lunch Team meeting tomorrow morning in the Entrance Hall, and RSVP to Laur at lgarner@washingtonwaldorf.org.

Don’t Miss the Waldorf Store Aftersale! 

The shopping fun continues, and there are lots of great items left! Sales in the Store at the Bazaar were down from last year, and we hope to make it up in the aftersale, so please support WWS and shop for the holidays in the Store! The store is stocked with beautiful handwork by members of the community, as well as a wide assortment of Waldorf toys, craft kits, art supplies, games, and items for the home.

TOMORROW is the last day for in-person shopping in the school Entrance Hall during drop-off (8:15-10:15am) and with special extended hours during the first home games in the gym (1:30-6pm).

Starting Saturday at 8am the store will be available online for local pickup only. After this week, you can continue to shop online through midnight on Dec 15, picking up your purchases at the school through Dec 22.

View the 2022-2023 Annual Report

If you are a current family - first, check ParentSquare for posts from your teachers, departments (Children's Garden, Lower School, High School), and the administration.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for on ParentSquare, please email your department coordinator/administrator or our Operations Manager:

• Children's Garden Coordinator - Cecilia Berg-Benson
• Lower School Chair - Janet Dunwoody
• High School Administrator - Bonnie McClelland
• Operations Manager - Laur Garner

Message of Thanks from Trina D. Parker, Sister of Stacey Kornegay

As the one year anniversary of Stacey's untimely passing approaches, the holidays and life in general will never be quite the same. But we truly appreciate how the Washington Waldorf School community has embraced us as its own family. We continue to receive calls and text messages from some of you wishing to share a fond memory, a vivid dream, a passing thought of Stacey or simply to check on our well-being. Your genuine good tidings remind us of how you cherished her so.

And now WWS has a gorgeous new gymnasium with beautiful bleachers erected in Stacey's memory. We are extending a huge THANK YOU to Maria Monteverde-Jackson and Jon Jackson for this wonderful gift.

May Stacey's spirit continue to touch your hearts just as it touches ours. We would also like to wish each of you a safe and joyous holiday season.



Go Red-Tailed Hawks!

Sending love and blessings,

The family of Stacey Kornegay (Ricardo Kornegay, Phyllis L. Kornegay and Trina D. Parker)

Crafting Retreat House in Ohio

From Alia Goodyear, WWS Family, Alum, Faculty

A college friend opened this crafting retreat house and it seemed like a good one to pass on to my WWS community...

The Wolfangel Retreat is a quilting /knitting retreat located in Anderson Township, OH. It can accommodate 10 crafters in a lovely light filled space.

Learn More:

https://wolfangelretreat.com/

Holy Nights Journal - Sacred Nights of Winter

During this darkest time of the year, when the outer world appears to sleep, our inner life awakens. Working with the Holy Nights, or “Time Between the Years” as it is sometimes called, is a potent way to connect more deeply with your awakening True Self. 

The Holy Nights journal, Sacred Nights of Winter, is now available to order. It's designed to support you in not only cultivating your inner life, but also in creating a personalized map to guide you through the coming year’s opportunities and challenges. 

“The journal was one of the most impactful and life-changing journeys I have ever undertaken. I had no idea what to expect, but each day opened my eyes to something I had never known or experienced before.”   ~ Ash-Lee J., Loveland, CO 

This year’s theme is Living Aligned with Nature. We need to be paying more attention to our role as beings of Nature to bring greater peace to this troubled world!

You’ll receive an invitation to a private online community (off of social media) with additional video teachings for each of the Sacred Nights of Winter, as well as free domestic shipping, all included with your journal.

www.KimMarieCoaching.com/SacredNights

Questions? Contact Kim@KimMarieCoaching.com. 

Published by the Washington Waldorf School

Copyright © 2023 All rights reserved

We welcome your comments and submissions. Contact Alia Goodyear if you would like to be added to our mailing list, or if you have submissions, questions, or suggestions. Please email submission by COB TUESDAY with the subject line "Bulletin Submission."

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